FLEXURAL STRESS ANALYSIS OF RIGID PAVEMENTS USING AXI-SYMMETRIC AND PLANE STRAIN FEM

V.A. Sawant (Applied Mechanics Department Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat)
M.S. Norazzlina (Civil Engineering Department, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development
Vol. 24 No. 4 (2007): ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (AJSTD)

The design of pavement involves a study of soils and paving materials, their response under load for different climatic conditions. In the present study, an attempt has been made to compare stresses predicted using two finite element analyses. First analysis is based on the twodimensional plane strain assumption where as in second approach axi-symmetric condition is assumed to consider three-dimensional behavior of rigid pavement. The results are compared with flexural stresses obtained from conventional Portland Cement Association method. The computed flexural stresses obtained from axi-symmetric condition are found to be in close agreement with PCA method. Results of plane strain analysis show a fair agreement after application of an appropriate multiplication factor